Book 5: War
by IGdude117
Summary: 20 years after the Battle of Republic City and a devastating socioeconomic crash, chaos threatens to engulf the world once more as increasingly radical and nationalistic countries begin to square off in the name of conquest and resources. Can Korra and the Gaang prevent the largest conflict since the Great War? Rated T for violence and language.
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

The year is 194 AG, and the storm clouds are gathering.

It has been two decades since the Battle of Republic City and the fall of Kuvira's Earth Empire. Years of progress, prosperity, and universal growth have made the world ever more connected and at peace- to an extent.

In the years directly after the Battle for Republic City, the world thrived. Avatar Korra and the Air Nation kept a watchful eye over the world as things changed for the better. Prince Wu, last heir to the Earth Kingdom throne, assisted in forming the Earth Confederacy- a loose collection of states and city-states all answering to an elected congress in Ba Sing Se.

With the cessation of hostilities, the world entered a golden age, as the Six Nations traded, innovated, and contributed to making the world a better place.

However, in the year 180, things changed. For the worse.

The Fire Nation's lucrative trade infrastructure, after years of increased spending and debt, suddenly collapsed, the powerful Share Market that served as the lifeblood to the Fire Nation's powerful corporations crashing nearly overnight. This sudden economic depression quickly affected the rest of the world, culminating in an event known as the Collapse. For nearly a decade, rampant inflation, poor wages, and unprecedented violence took hold throughout the world, shaking it to its very core.

While every Nation struggled, the Earth Confederacy struggled the most, its ineffective government helpless as its constituent States waged war and fought against bandits and criminals with little to no reprieve from Confederate authorities. Hundreds of thousands across the world died, as millions more struggled through poverty and unemployment. The Avatar, nearly helpless against the primarily economic disaster, did what she could, fighting criminals and self-proclaimed warlords where she could.

In the wake of the Collapse, the world has become a _very_ different place.

The Fire Nation, now primarily led by a parliamentary government, has taken a radical turn towards the right, with neo-imperialists and nationalists holding the majority while the nearly-helpless Firelord Iroh II and his mother look on in concern as militarism once more rises in their beloved home.

In the two Water Tribes, internal squabbles and lingering resentments over the Collapse's devastation have led to two mostly isolationist countries, waiting to see how the coming conflicts resolve themselves.

The Earth Confederacy, however, the site of some of the darkest horrors of the Collapse, has changed the most. In the wake of the crushing destruction of the Collapse, a political party calling themselves the "Gonglu" have gathered a wave of supporters, threatening the incumbent Moderate Party as it receives more and more support all over the Confederacy. Hailing from the state of Omashu, its leader, the so-called 'Shen the Great', promises a return to the peace and prosperity of before, as well as a powerful Earth Nation unlike anything seen before. His charismatic charms sway millions throughout the Earth Confederacy, and he and his party stand poised to wrest control of the government from the seemingly ineffective Confederate government.

Meanwhile, the two nations to largely escape the horrors of the Collapse, the Air Nation and the United Republic, do their best to ease the rising tensions throughout the world. Master Jinora, leader of the Air Nation, works with her siblings and the great leaders of the Air Nation to keep the peace in the face of gangsters, pirates, and bandits while her father explores the Spirit World and builds the Air Nations to their pre-Great War heights.

In the United Republic, President Mako, after a highly successful career as Chief of Police, turns to his friends and advisers more than before. Avatar Korra and her wife, Asami Sato, do their best to help him in a significantly more tumultuous world, fearing a return to the conflicts they suffered through as teenagers.

As storm clouds brew over the world, few notice that the Spirits, once happy inhabitants of the material plane, are slowly but surely returning to the Spirit World, no doubt anticipating the bloodshed to come.


	2. Chapter 2: Rise of the Gonglu

Avatar Korra, hero of the United Republic, defeater of UnaVaatu, and the savior of the Air Nation, growled in frustration as she slammed on the brakes again, her car screeching to a halt behind a trail of red taillights that seemed to stretch well past Portal Park. She silently chided herself for using the name the denizens of Republic City had given the third Spirit Portal. She found it improper to a certain degree; an irony that never really escaped her. She knew that Tenzin- even more grumpy in his old age than he had been before- would be proud.

She moved her car forward another inch, glancing at her watch and cursing silently. She was late to Kwong's Cuisine, and she knew that Asami would be more than a little annoyed. They had, after all, been planning this date for a long time, and Korra had been looking forward to it, in all honesty.

So much was different, she reflected. The situation in the Earth Confederation had seen her being called into Mako's office all too often, not to mention phone calls from Iroh, Bolin, Jinora, and about a dozen other people. It seemed like fresh problems were developing in every Nation, and there was almost nothing she could do about it without exacerbating the problems.

She hadn't been so busy since she had hunted down Zaheer and the Red Lotus, and she _knew_ that wasn't a good sign.

She looked out the windshield of her car again, scowling as she was confronted by a bumper sticker with the angular gold-on-green symbol of the Gonglu Party. An outline of the Gonglu's leader, the charming-faced Shen, performed his classic traditional salute- his trademark of sorts. Oh, how she wished she could get her hands on that slimy bugger. By her reckoning, she figured that it would be a better beat-down than her defeat of Kuvira's Mech suit all those years ago.

She pinched the bridge of her nose in stress, her arm hanging out of the window in exhaustion. She had, as of late, been spending more and more time in the Spirit World, seeking to understand it to the extent that her predecessor had. And, as always, she desperately tried to find a way to connect with her past lives- to reconnect what was lost all those years ago during Harmonic Convergence. Not that much progress had been made.

She counted herself lucky that she wouldn't have to deal with that during her lifetime. Perhaps sometime down the road, when she had long since passed on, her Spirit would assist some poor sap with the chaos of Harmonic Convergence all over again, but at least she wouldn't have a repeat of the UnaVaatu crisis.

She sighed again, laying into the horn again as she straightened her dress and checked her watch in worry.

* * *

Hyun had seen many things in his life. As a youth growing up in the city of Omashu, he had seen his fair share of horrible things. His brother, his only caretaker after losing his mother to the pox, had been heavily involved in the Terra Triad, and as a result, young Hyun had been roped into many jobs. Then, he had gotten away from that life, and had met a girl- Jiao- and everything had changed. They had lived together, happy and content, making a living as street vendors in the busy city of Omashu.

Then, the Collapse had happened, and life took a turn. Everything had gotten worse- they lost their food stand, they were kicked out of their house, and Jiao had gotten killed by bandits when she was looking for a job outside the city walls. Hyun had mourned her for weeks, and vowed revenge on the lowlifes that had taken her from him.

He joined the City Watch, then the Omashu State Army, and fought valiantly in Omashu's wars against Kikosato and Shaotong, telling himself that each man he killed was revenge for the universe's cruelty.

And then, he had met a young, idealistic officer named Shen, and had found his life's calling.

The crowd milled outside of the large stand now, anxiously talking and laughing. Hyun didn't blame them, after all, it was a historic day. The Confederate election results were due to be announced any second, and the vast majority of the Earth Confederacy cried out for Shen to be the new Prime Minister.

Hyun had been with Shen from the start, and he had been pleasantly surprised by how influential the Gonglu Party was. All over the Earth Confederacy, in every state, they had been met with throngs of adoring citizens. Many of the states around Omashu- the seat of power for the Party- had amalgamated themselves into the state of Omashu willingly, giving greater and greater power to their fledgling Nation.

Hyun felt a tap on his shoulder, and was met by Dhaki, Shen's other bodyguard.

"It's time."

Hyun felt his chest swell as Shen walked by. He was an average looking man, despite what many peasants thought. He was well muscled- a result of constant sparring and bending matches with Hyun and his other bodyguards- but sported a kind, but intense face. Brown hair- cut in the style of the Earth Empire soldiers of twenty years ago- framed piercing green eyes that could hold thousands under their gaze.

He stopped before Hyun putting a hand on his shoulder.

"I got the call a few minutes ago. Our victory was even greater than anticipated. 234 seats."

Hyun started in surprise.

" _234?!_ That leaves only-"

"66 seats for the opposition. It was a landslide victory."

"Congratulations, sir."

Shen smiled.

"Thanks. I have you all to thank for this, you know. Without your help, I never would have gotten this chance to better our Nation."

Hyun's heart soared with the compliment, and he smiled broadly as Shen walked towards the stage, pausing before the microphone as the hundreds of thousands of enthusiastic supporters roared their support. He raised his hand, motioning for them to quiet down, a thankful smile on his face.

"Brothers, sisters!" He said, joy written all over his face.

"Today is truly a historic day! I just got off of the telephone with Prime Minister Neto-"

Boos rang amongst the crowd at the name of their bumbling Prime Minister.

"Please, please. Prime Minister Neto informed me that the Gonglu Party won an _unprecedented_ 234 seats in the election!"

The roar of approval was enough to shake the very earth, and Hyun's pride soared as he watched Shen, riveted.

"Fourteen years ago, our Nation went through the most horrifying ordeal since the murder of the Earth Queen in 171. The Collapse of the Fire Nation's market had repercussions all throughout the world, and we suffered. Oh, we suffered, brothers and sisters, make no mistake. While the corrupt officials in Ba Sing Se languished in their personal estates, it was the _working men and women_ of our great Nation that struggled, fought, and died against the hordes of bandits, Triads, and foreigners. Yet we stayed strong- like the Earth that serves as the Foundation of the old Kingdom- until we had weathered the storm, and emerged from the flames of poverty like the phoenix, rising to new heights!"

He paused, allowing the cheers to die down.

"We have before us an unprecedented chance. For too long has our Nation been divided and fractured. The actions of Prince Wu were justified, but they did little to halt the chaos that has always gripped our Nation, even with the watchful eye of Avatar Korra. Yet when our _esteemed_ Avatar ceased her vigilant watch, when she and the oligarchs of Republic City and the Fire Nation stood by while our people _suffered_ we realized we needed something more- something that you, the people of our glorious Nation have given us!"

A roar- not unlike that of a raging river- rose from the crowd. Hyun couldn't help but grin- this was where Shen was in his element, and where he could motivate millions to change the world.

"And now, the government in Ba Sing Se is ours to control. No longer shall we the people of the Earth Nation be beholden to the pompous aristocrats of Ba Sing Se! No longer shall we lose our jobs to foreign vultures, nor shall we suffer humiliation by the hands of the other Nations. With your help, brothers and sisters, I will remake the Earth Nation into a Nation to be proud of- one that does not discriminate on the basis of wealth nor gender. One that doesn't bow down to the corrupting influence of the other Nations! One that _will not_ give itself up to hordes of bandits, pirates, and gangsters that _even now_ try to weaken the strength of our Nation!"

He waited once more for the cheering to subside, a knowing smile upon his illuminated face.

"Brothers and Sisters, this night is yours. You are the ones who allowed us the chance to change our Nation for the better, and _you_ are the ones that will make our Nation great again! Spirits willing, we will make this Nation the greatest on the Earth and forge a better future for our children."

Shen nodded, balling his fist on top of his heart and smiling infectiously as the masses screamed their adoration for him. He walked off, stopping by Hyun with a reddened, sweaty, but joyful face.

"How did it sound?"

"Truly inspiring, Prime Minister," Hyun said, grinning.

"You just wait, Hyun. Hundreds of years from now, they'll speak of this moment as being the one that changed everything."

"And when will we share our greatness with the rest of the world?" Hyun said, eagerly. He knew now that he would follow Shen and his vision into the very depths of hell, if necessary.

Shen regarded him for a moment, and then burst into laughter, draping an arm over Hyun's arm as he accepted a wine glass from an aide.

"Soon enough, Lieutenant. Soon enough."

* * *

Asami smiled warmly as Korra hurried in, her face flushed in embarrassment. Korra kissed her quickly on the lips before hurrying to the seat directly across from Asami, sputtering out apologies.

"It's _fine,_ Korra. Honestly. You weren't even that late!"

"I know, it's just- we've been planning this for so long, I didn't… I didn't want to let you down."

Asami smiled at that, reaching out and clasping Korra's hand in her own.

"Korra, don't even worry about it. It happens."

Korra smiled, unconvinced, and quickly ordered a water from the waiter, making her usual order of lo mein, and turning her gaze towards Asami again.

"Spirits, Asami, you look beautiful tonight."

Asami blushed slightly. She had elected to wear a similar dress to the one she had worn to Varrick's wedding, all those years ago. It was, after all, their seventeenth anniversary, so she wanted it to be… _special._

Yet Korra's face looked slightly haggard as she gulped at her water, bending a small spilled droplet back into her cup.

"What's the matter?" Asami asked, putting both hand's on Korra's. Her wife sighed, avoiding her gaze.

"I don't- I don't want to ruin it."

"Just tell me. What's wrong?"

Korra sighed, her blue, sleek dress shimmering in the dim lights of Kwong's.

"It's just- on the way here, I was listening to the radio, and they were playing Shen's speech live-"

"Oh, Spirits, what did he do now?"

"They won the election. Landslide victory. I'm just- it can only mean trouble, Asami. It's like Kuvira, all over again, except this time I can't stop it without starting a war."

"What did Mako say?"

"Oh, the normal thing about protesting diplomatically and doing absolutely _nothing_ while that creep gets more and more powerful…"

Asami was surprised by the level of anger in her voice.

"I'm sure Mako is doing the best he can. You know how much he hates politics."

Korra sighed, smiling softly at Asami.

"Yeah, I know. It's just- I _hate it_ when things like this start happening again. I know I changed after Zaheer almost killed me, but I'm not even the same person I was when we were fighting Kuvira. It just seems like every time I set things right, things end up going back to the way they were before."

Asami smiled, gently touching Korra's chin as she leaned in to kiss her.

"You're the Avatar, Korra. That's just how it is. I'm sure you could talk to Tenzin, or even Iroh and Zuko in the Spirit world…"

"Tenzin spends his days meditating in the Northern Air Temple and Iroh and Zuko are spirits now. I couldn't bring myself to bother them with that."

Asami leaned back into her booth. Her wife was the most generous person she knew, and she worried for her almost constantly. She really did have the weight of the world on her shoulders, and she had borne it since they had first met all those years ago in Republic City.

"Enough about that," Korra said, leaning forward towards Asami. "How was your day?"

* * *

Tenzin found himself in the Northern Air Temple. Normally, that wouldn't exactly be a problem, but considering he had been in Wan Shi Tong's library (now devoid of the menacing owl Spirit) mere moments ago, this was vexing.

And the fact that his mother, who had long since passed on, was sitting before him, vexed him even more.

"Mother…" he said, almost desperately.

"Tenzin," she said, proudly. "How are you?"

"I- I'm fine. How… how is this possible?"

"Oh, I've always had a… _special_ connection to the Spirit world."

She smiled, morphing into her teenaged years- a form he had never seen her in with his own eyes. He realized that Kya had been the spitting image of their mother when they were young- he had never seen it until then.

"Why are you here?"

She looked to her left, where the form of Iroh, followed by a kneeling Zuko- himself in a younger, adult form- appeared.

"Zuko! Iroh! I- I don't know what to say."

Iroh's face, usually upbeat and jolly, was reserved and dark.

"We must deliver a warning, Tenzin. To you. Dark times are coming. War- war that is only matched by the one we all fought- will be returning to the world. You must stand fast through the darkness, Tenzin. The Avatar, and the World, will need your guidance a little longer."

"You must guide Korra through the storm to come," Zuko said, his voice deep but youthful, his golden eyes sparkling with concern.

"And you must watch over your sister. You two have to look after each other, especially now that Bumi is gone."

A pang of sadness washed over Tenzin at the mention of his older brother, who had passed away several years before. There was a potent silence as Tenzin steadied his breath, looking back at the three Spirits he had known so well.

"I think I understand. I'll help her again."

Zuko and Iroh nodded, smiling warmly, before disappearing. His mother stayed behind, fading slowly.

"I love you Tenzin. I wish you luck in the coming days."

"Mother…" he said, a lurch of sadness stabbing through him.

"Your father would be proud."

With that, she disappeared, and Tenzin's eyes opened, back at the place he had gone into meditation atop the tallest tower of the Northern Temple.

In his heart, as much as he hated to confront it, he knew that darkness was coming. The storm-clouds of war were gathering once more, and he didn't if know if he, or even Korra, could stop it this time.

* * *

 **Hey all! So this has been a series idea I've been tossing around for a while, and I figured I'd give you guys a quick peek. Hopefully, this can become a serial, long term series that focuses on our favorite characters as they struggle through this tense time, with a few brand new characters thrown in. Let me know if you like it (though I'll probably continue either way), and feel free to leave whatever (preferably constructive) feedback you can!**

 **-IGdude117**


	3. Chapter 3: Tremors

_Korra opened her eyes, and only saw death._

 _The sweeping valleys of the United Republic- once verdant farmland with rice fields and small towns abound- had become a mud-strewn wasteland. Korra stood in the middle of what was once a farmhouse, wooden struts and walls jutting out of the dirt like a ribcage. She noticed something beneath the rubble, and picked it up, regarding the small toy that seemed to represent her teenaged self in amusement._

 _Then, a series of explosions threw her to the ground, and she looked up. To her front, a line of belching, black-iron tanks emblazoned with the crimson sigil of the Fire Nation roared forward, each one sporting an angular turret with a large cannon, spewing shells towards its enemy._

 _Korra peered above the rubble as the tanks passed around her, seeing waves upon waves of infantry following the armor. Men in black-and-red uniforms with field caps and special emblems moved in tandem, bending fireballs and blocking shots with their bending as even more in gray uniforms sprinted forward, rifles in hand and with swords in belts. Far above them, massive airships, sleeker and more pointed than the ones of her youth, traded shots with an unseen enemy as whirring mech-suits sprinted forward, their viewports glowing balefully._

 _She turned, looking at what they were all shooting at._

 _Waves upon waves of soldiers dressed in green fatigues boiled forward, screaming oaths as they clutched rifles with bayonets or marched forward staunchly, bending massive boulders and rock-spikes._

 _Korra stood now, walking slowly with the horde of Fire Nation infantry, as rock spikes, bullets, and rocks passed through her, as if she didn't exist._

" _Any man who kills an earthbender gets 30 yuans!" bellowed a sergeant, his field cap gone and his face scarred and bloody._

 _A storm of thin rock slivers tore through the men, and they crumpled to the ground, their rifles and gear lying around their bloody bodies in disarray._

 _Korra ran forward, following the advance, until the two armies clashed. Firebenders lit Earth Nation soldiers on fire, turning them into smoking, blackened figures as Earthbenders crushed dozens of men with pillars of rock and contracting walls. Squadrons of troops faced off from each other, mere feet apart, before forming into loose formations, aiming their rifles, and firing, before reloading and firing quickly as their comrades died around them._

 _Others abandoned their rifles altogether, drawing swords and knives and collapsing into a mess of swirling melee, turning the farmland into a mire of bodies, blood, and steel._

 _Korra clasped her head in pain as the swirling cries of anguish from thousands of soldiers dying tore into her mind, drowning out her thoughts in a cacophonous symphony of death._

Korra awoke, her eyes snapping forward as sweat formed all over her body. She let out a scream, waking Asami, who yelped in surprise and fell out of bed. Korra panted, exhausted and afraid, clutching her head as her headache slowly subsided. Asami climbed back up, looking at Korra in concern.

"Sorry… Asami."

"Are you okay?"

Asami's face was lined with worry. Her face looked almost the same as it had when they took their vacation into the spirit world, but for some extra lines in her face and several streaks of gray in her long, black hair. Time had been kind to both of them; some of the gossip papers attributed this to the mysterious ways of the Spirit World, but Korra was of the opinion that it was due to their both being in fairly good shape (by necessity).

Korra wiped the sweat from her brow, breathing heavily as Asami's warm hand stroked her back comfortingly, until Korra had calmed down somewhat.

"It was another nightmare, wasn't it?"

Korra nodded, catching her breath.

"The same one. I keep seeing it, Asami- the battle, the death, the destruction. And every time it feels so _real_. It… it scares me."

Asami studied Korra's face intently, her lime-green eyes intense with concern.

"You think it's a vision. A premonition."

Korra hugged Asami tightly, letting the sobs of fear out as the exhaustion crashed over her.

"H-How can it not be? You… you've seen what the world is like now. We're h-headed towards war all… all over again. I-It's just like when we were younger."

Asami's hands stayed rooted to Korra's hair, reassuring her with their presence. Korra clutched to her like she never had before. For her, Asami was a bulwark against the cold waves of fear that emanated from the nightmare- the light in the darkness.

"You're not going to let it get that bad, Korra. I know you won't. We'll stop it before it gets out of hand, together. I'm here for you; so is everyone else.

Korra stopped crying at last, wiping her eyes as tiredness returned and feelings of foolishness entered her mind.

"But how many people will die before that happens?"

* * *

The room was cold. As it always had been. The woman sat in her throne, staring blankly at the empty seat next to her, pangs of guilt and sorrow peeking through her usual exterior of indifference.

Eska, Chief of the Northern Water Tribe, found herself missing her brother more than ever before. It would be eleven years in a few days since her twin was shot and killed while inspecting the wall. Eleven years since her life was torn asunder and her life became much, much bleaker.

For months, she was silent as the grave, lamenting the loss of her brother while the effects of the Collapse starved her people.

When she emerged from her grief, she was a different person. Angrier. More… _vengeful_.

She had begun by quelling the food riots throughout the North. Despite the advice of her aides, she deployed the Northern Army, violently suppressing revolt wherever it began. Hundreds were killed in the ensuing riots, but she didn't care. The frustrating reality that _nothing_ she did would bring back her brother drove her to greater depravity. She lived her days indulging. In sex, in alcohol, even in drugs.

Thus she earned her nickname, 'the Cold Queen'.

The large doors to the throne room opened tentatively, causing Eska to look up from her reverie in anger.

"Who is it?!" she snapped.

The cocky, self-assured form of Colonel Keelut, her bodyguard and chief advisor, entered. His piercing teal eyes- cold and unforgiving like hers- were strangely reassuring, and she relaxed. Keelut was carrying a large parcel, and he bowed at the door, nodding to the guards to close it behind him.

"You asked to be given a demonstration of the new weapons, Your Grace?"

"Yes, that's right."

He approached, unravelling the smooth, wood-and-steel rifle. She looked at it uneasily, knowing that it was similar to the one that killed her brother, but also in curiosity. With this weapon, she could arm her soldiers to the newest standards available.

"This is the Okagi Rifle, your Highness. It is the newest product out of the Fire Nation, and is the standard of most of our… _competitors._ "

He lifted the gun deftly, showing it to Eska at a closer range. He indicated the rear of the gun, where a complicated-looking mechanism was bolted above the trigger.

"As you know, many of the earlier patterns of rifle were loaded from the top- the muzzle. But the _Okagi_ is one of the first to be loaded from the back- the breech."

He unlocked a small sliding panel in the side, sliding a red-and-gold cylindrical object into the slit, before closing it and locking it, cocking a small hammer.

"So now it is loaded, and ready to fire. It has a fairly long range, and an experienced soldier can fire as many as eleven shots in one minute. With this weapon, our non-bending soldiers can get an edge over other non-benders, and even other benders. Who knows how beneficial this could be?" he said, excitedly.

She said nothing, instead glancing at a guard, who opened a small door in the side wall of the palace room and roughly grabbed a man bound in chains. Colonel Keelut turned to look at the man, and smiled knowingly.

"Another political prisoner from your dungeons, your Highness?"

Eska looked at the pitiful prisoner with contempt. His dark blue prison fatigues were stained with blood, and his face was bruised and battered.

"A teacher who tried getting his students to protest my right to rule. He wanted to turn the Water Tribes into a _republic_ ," she spat.

"Show me what these weapons can do."

Keelut bowed, lifting the rifle to his shoulder and aiming it at the man, who was whimpering and screaming beneath his gag. Closing one eye, Keelut's body imperceptibly shifted, before he squeezed the trigger, sending a bullet whizzing at the teacher's head and splattering gore over the icy blue floor. Keelut lowered the rifle to his hip, pressing a button near the trigger, which ejected a steaming cartridge onto the floor. He turned back to Eska, bowing.

"Are you satisfied, your Highness."

"Yes. I want this weapon distributed to all soldiers- bending and non-bending - throughout the Northern Army. You understand?"

"Of course, your Highness."

He hurried off, and Eska regarded the corpse of the teacher as it was being dragged away, leaving a messy trail of blood on her floors. A momentary pang of guilt passed through her, but she crushed it, as her father had instructed her long ago, as it would only slow her down. She glanced up at the high-vaulted ceilings, wondering if her brother was looking down at her.

"I'm sorry, Desna. I'm sorry I couldn't save you sooner."

She curled back into a fetal position on the throne, wallowing in guilt and fear as a cold, raspy wind gusted outside.

* * *

Bolin's stomach grumbled as his mind turned wistfully to a thick slab of meat. He could envision it perfectly- a full rack of Boarcupine ribs, glistening thick sauce dribbled over it… He stopped himself. He had been a reluctant adherent to the vegetarian lifestyle, but he was more than willing to surrender meat if it meant supporting his wife.

He lifted the binoculars to his eyes again, viewing the distant commotion in concern. Pillars of smoke rose from the city center, and the sound of shouting, screaming, and loud impacts came from that direction as well. He put the binoculars down again, grabbing the large radio receiver.

"Opal, honey, do you read me?"

Her reply was garbled as a loud windy noise drowned out most of her voice.

" _Y...h, wha... goin... on?"_

He smiled. Opal was likely surveying the situation far above on Juicy, her erstwhile, eternally sniffly air bison.

"Yeah, it looks like it's turning into a riot. We'd better get over there before the police start bringing out bigger guns."

" _Meet...ou...the…e"_

He smiled, packing the receiver into the radio case and slinging it back on his back, looking at Gyohel and Naa, the two newbies that had accompanied them.

"Alright, I want each of you to keep an eye on the incoming roads. Let us know if anything suspicious tries to get into the city. We'll come get you on Juicy when we're done here."

They nodded solemnly, and Bolin grinned.

"Cheer up! I'll buy you both a bowl of noodles when we get back. Just make sure you two don't make out for too long."

Gyohel, one of a dozen or so airbenders to actually be born in the Air Nation, flushed deeply as Naa, a native of the Northern Water Tribe, looked away in embarrassment. Bolin laughed, jumping to his feet and leaping off of the roof, sprinting down the desolate streets towards the distant commotion.

After a few minutes of getting hopelessly lost, he bent a pillar of earth from the ground, propelling himself into the air before tucking into a ball and landing neatly, albeit not before scraping his knee. He pouted slightly, looking at the veritable sea of rooftops. The commotion was nearby, and he leapt over several roofs before scaling a large telegraph shop to observe the town square below.

The scene was one of utter chaos. What had begun as a celebration, and then a protest, had now turned into an all out riot. Close to a thousand people, with large green-and-gold banners and posters with Shen the Great's face emblazoned on it clashed against a smaller crowd touting the silver emblem of the Liberal and Moderate parties. The city's police force- around fifty officers- were dressed in reinforced armor, wielding batons and wooden shields to defend against the mob. As Bolin had feared, there weren't any benders in the police force, and he saw several officers running through an alley, long-rifles slung over their shoulders.

Bolin grabbed the reciever again.

"Honey, _where are you?_ " he said, urgently.

A shadow passed overhead, and Juicy landed next to him, a large droplet of mucus spattering disgustingly on the rooftop. Opal smiled, landing nimbly on the roof and hugging Bolin briefly before turning back to the scene.

"It's just like I thought- they're bringing out the rifles."

Opal grimaced.

"We'll have to stop them; you go over there and stop them from shooting and I'll get their attention with Juicy."

"Got it."

He turned to leave, and was stopped as Opal grabbed his shoulder, looking scared.

"Be careful, alright? There's no telling what these people will do."

Bolin kissed her on the cheek, smiling broadly.

"I'm the hero of the South, remember? I'm always careful."

Opal rolled her eyes, laughing to herself nervously as the crowds below fought in pure rage and hatred, blinded by their devotion to a greater cause.

* * *

Asami entered the large conference room with a smile, taking her place at the head of the long wooden table as Li, her assistant, arrayed the folder of papers next to her. Asami straightened her dress, regarding the room of stuffy businessmen optimistically.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, gentlemen. Whenever you're ready."

Teiljo, the executive manager for the Fire Nation branches of Future Industries, cleared his throat, mopping his sweaty forehead with a cloth before straightening his round glasses nervously.

"We have the statistics you asked for, M-miss Sato."

"And?"

"Demand for military-related goods have increased by around 40% all across the board in the last month or so."

"You have specifics, I take it?"

"Y-yes. The mark 173 mecha suits- the ones used during the Earth Empire days- have retained their popularity, and sold over 50,000 units in the Water Tribes and Fire Nation alone. We've followed your orders not to sell to the Gonglu, but to be honest, Miss Sato, the demand is getting to a point where we may have to revise that policy."

Asami looked at the papers, her eyes practically glazing over at the charts and graphs. From what she could tell, Future Industries' defense subsidiaries were selling airships, mecha-suits, tanks, and guns almost as quick as they could be made. The profit was staggering, to be sure, but Asami wasn't comfortable with the implications selling weapons carried.

Yet, despite what she may think, she was practically helpless. The Board of Directors were the ones primarily in charge of subsidiaries, and any movement to close down the subsidiaries would be voted down by the other directors.

"You understand what these weapons would be used for, right? These are weapons of _war_. These will kill people, and they will have Future Industries' logo emblazoned on them while they do so. Do you want that on your conscience?"

Ashi, a fiery woman in charge of the Earth Confederacy subsidiaries, perked up.

"All due respect, Miss Sato, but we may not have a choice. In the last week alone, twenty-three of our facilities were heavily damaged by rioters and protesters. Earth Nation production has gone down significantly, and we've taken around 500,000 yuans' worth of damages. Selling to the Gonglu, while distasteful, would do much to discourage protesters."

"Or, we could strengthen security staff in Earth Nation facilities and _not_ finance a nationalist organization," Asami said bluntly.

There was a silence at the board as the directors shifted uncomfortably.

"Fine. I want proposals on my desk by noon tomorrow. Thank you."

She stood, gathering her papers, and stormed out of the boardroom, fuming. How could they be so… _cold?_ Were they all so obsessed with the thought of profits that they couldn't understand the moral implications of selling weapons? She missed the days when it was just her and her father selling Satomobiles. Before Amon, before Kuvira, before…

Her thoughts trailed off as she stormed into her office, tossing the analysis papers on the smooth, polished dark wood of her desk as she walked to the large picture windows overlooking the rolling hills of the outskirts of Republic City, rolling into the densely packed boroughs that hugged the perimeter of the old Republic City. The bright yellow beam of light signifying the spirit portal poked out, ever present from the vine-covered ruins of the old downtown. Asami's mind wandered to that time, when she and Korra explored the Spirit World, marveling both at the wonders, and then gradually and passionately falling in love.

She knew that she had always loved Korra, but it had been the love of a close friend, until her injuries fighting Zaheer. Those long days where she had stayed with Korra and talked with the broken shell of a woman she had known, and where she had bared her soul and learned much about Korra and herself, was when she had loved Korra romantically. But she hid it- even running away to Republic City to rebuild in fear of her own conflicting thoughts, before embracing it after seeing the old Korra return in the fight against Kuvira.

She missed those days, truly. Not the fighting so much, but the simplicity of it all. There had been an enemy- straightforward and direct- that they had fought and won against. Now, there were enemies everywhere. Where once there was trust and love, there was fear and hatred. What had happened to make it all change? Even the spirits, once so vibrant and present, had begun disappearing. She wasn't as much of an expert as her wife was, but she could tell that disappearing spirits was far from a good thing.

She knew the storm was coming; she just didn't know when it would hit, and that scared her more than anything else.

* * *

 **As always, feel free to leave constructive feedback!**

 **-IGdude117**


	4. Chapter 4: Return to Kyoshi Island

The bubbling brook was the only sound that Zhi concentrated on. In that instant, nothing else mattered. Her mind was blank, and the world's sounds were dim and sounded as if they were filtered through a seashell. The sun on her skin, the bugs on her arm, the gust of the wind on her hair were all unregistered in Zhi's mind. A sense of utter peacefulness settled upon her, and she felt almost as if she were floating…

"Master Zhi!"

Zhi's eyes snapped open, and she sighed dejectedly as her meditation was interrupted by an initiate waving at her. She felt a surge of annoyance threaten to boil over but she inhaled deeply through her nose, steadying herself.

"Yes?"

"You have a call waiting in the radio station."

"Who is it from?"

"Someone named Shen?"

Zhi's eyes widened and her heartbeat quickened. She had been expecting it for some time, but to have it here, on her doorstep…

She steadied her breath, clambering to her feet and following the initiate through the forest, entering the small complex of buildings that formed the Kyoshi Warriors' training center. Master Suki had once told her how the Warriors had first been trained in a small wooden dojo, and the village had been just that- a small village. Now, the dojo was a thriving and modern training facility capable of instructing a hundred initiates at a time, as well as housing capabilities for twice that. The small fishing village was now a thriving port- one that had barely struggled through the Collapse.

She strode into the radio room and picked up the telephone.

"This is Zhi."

"Ah, the famous Master, at last. Champion of the Kyoshi Warriors, the one who defeated 1,000 bandits during the darkest years of the collapse. How are you?"

She ignored the small talk.

"What do you want."

"I'm sure you know who I am."

"Sure, _Shen the Great_. Or should I call you Prime Minister Shen now? Or perhaps Emperor Shen, if that suits you better."

The famous (or infamous, she found herself thinking) Shen the Great chuckled on the other end of the telephone line.

"Perhaps. But I am not here for what _I_ want. I am here for what _you_ want."

"And what exactly do I want, Prime Minister?"

"Take your pick; better funding, more recruits, more autonomy, you name it. It can all be yours, too, Sifu, provided you agree."

"Agree to what?" she asked, knowing full well what he wanted.

"Swear your allegiance to the Gonglu Party. You wouldn't even have to attend any meetings nor would you have to give any money. The only obligation you would have is to-"

"Contribute to the defense of the Earth Nation as the Party leader sees fit. I've recieved the paperwork before," she said, flatly.

"So you'll do it?"

"I didn't say that."

There was a pause, then an exasperated sigh.

"Look, Sifu. You have a reputation for being a forward thinker. Spirits, the thought of having men in the Kyoshi Warriors was unheard of before you implemented the policy. This nation is moving forward to take its rightful place in the world, and leaving your island behind would truly be a shame. Swear your allegiance, and you will have riches, fame, and support all throughout the Nation."

"The only way I will swear allegiance to the Party, _Prime Minister,_ is if you and your fellow Nationalists stop their aggressive and prejudiced policies and halt your militaristic ways."

There was a short, strained chuckle.

"Don't make a decision you'll regret, Sifu. You and your Warriors may be world-famous, but they are _nothing_ to the might of a modern military. We can do this peacefully or we can do this forcefully, but one way or another, I _will_ have your people's allegiance."

There it was.

"Then I would suggest you bring as many troops as you can, _Shen_ , because there is no way the Warriors will bow down to you."

She hung up the telephone, and wondered if she had just doomed the people of the island to an early grave. She looked at the initiate.

"Run and fetch the other Masters. And instruct the radio office in the city to send a message to the United Republic president at once."

As the girl scampered away to fulfill her errands, Zhi collapsed into a nearby chair, doing her best to calm the raging inferno of anxiety and fear brewing within her. She hoped to the Gods that she had done the right thing, because if not, she would bring down the full might of the Gonglu on the innocent people of Kyoshi Island.

* * *

The presidential office was lavish and fancy. Large bookcases covered one wall, with another devoted to photographs of each of the leaders of the United Republic- from Tenzin and the council to Raiko. Mako smiled as he regarded the photos coolly, looking at the smirking image of Councilman Tarrlok knowingly. How many people, he wondered, really knew _who_ Tarrlok was? If they did, then perhaps they would give up blaming the Collapse on Raiko and do something about it.

The door opened, and a veritable flood of advisors poured in (by which he meant five or six of them), followed by the comforting sight of Korra. The advisors, all political and formal men, all bowed deeply, murmuring 'Avatar' as she passed, but Mako settled for a friendly hug, before taking his seat behind his desk.

"I apologize for rousing you all, but my office received a very disturbing radio message a few hours ago."

He nodded towards an attendant, who turned on a recording device, which emitted a burst of static before playing a scratchy, and now intimately familiar message that he had listened to again and again.

 _This message is for the President of the United Republic._

 _My name is Zhi. You may know me as the Master of the Kyoshi Warriors and the unofficial governor of Kyoshi Island. Our island, famous as it is, wants nothing more than peace and quiet, and that may not be an option._

 _I received a telephone call this morning from Prime Minister Shen demanding that I swear allegiance to the Gonglu Party or face annexation from the Earth Confederacy. I denied his demands flatly, and he threatened to flatten the Island. Now, it is fully my intention to defend my people and fellow brothers and sisters to the death, but I cannot succeed on my own. I appeal to you, President Mako, for assistance from the United Forces. My people need your ships to escape the fighting, and any help you could give to deny the Gonglu their prize would be greatly appreciated._

 _On behalf of the Warriors of Kyoshi, I thank you._

The message clicked to an end, leaving the office in silence.

Mako looked at the politicians, who were wearing their emotions of unease on their sleeves, and then at Korra, who was enigmatic and composed. Mako found himself missing the old days, or even the days of running the police department. At least there, politics were somewhat removed from the equation, and you never had to worry about two-faced liars (with some exceptions).

"Thoughts?"

Secretary Xie, the head of the State Department, shifted uncomfortably.

"All due respect, Mr. President, but you can't do what she says."

"And why is that?"

"Sir, it would _start a war_. We all know that Shen has already been slamming both us and the Fire Nation for our corrupt and greedy ways, and he would use the deployment of the United Forces to a territory he considers his as an excuse for war, and I don't think anyone wants that."

Mako shifted his attention to the old, but still shrewd and capable Secretary Tahki of the Defense Department.

"Do you concur?"

"Of course, Mr. President, I think that the United Forces could easily deal with any militia the Earth Confederacy could conjure up, but yes, I do concur that intervention could spark a war that would turn public opinion against you."

Mako nodded. The woman had no military experience, of course, but had served as an ambassador to basically every nation on the planet, and he trusted her advice.

"Avatar Korra?"

The cabinet members shifted to regard the aging Korra, but Mako was happy to see that his old friend didn't shirk from the increased attention.

"The opinions already stated are true… from a political standpoint. But the Kyoshi Warriors are a venerated and ancient order that has helped both the United Republic, the past Avatars, and the world as a whole many times. They sacrificed much to help Avatar Aang fight the Fire Nation, so I would argue that it's time we do the same."

Secretary Biisaiyowaq (who went by the name Biisa for convenience's sake), the Secretary of the Interior, looked at the Avatar intently.

"You have a suggestion, then, Avatar Korra?"

"I do. Send a message to Master Jinora in the Eastern Air Temple. The Airbenders could surely spare some people to convince Master Zhi and the other Kyoshi Warriors to evacuate from the island to a safe zone."

There were murmurs of agreement, and Mako nodded. Bringing the Airbenders in would avoid an international incident, as the Air Nation were almost universally viewed as peacekeepers, especially after their actions following the Ba Sing Se Rebellion. And, knowing Jinora, she wouldn't hesitate to help.

Yet Mako had something else in mind that he was uncertain about.

"Then that is what we shall do. Can I ask everyone to step out for a minute?"

The cabinet members surged to their feet.

"Except you, Avatar Korra. Can I have a word?"

Korra paused, looking at him quizzically, but he winked as the others filed out, and waited until the door had clicked shut.

"What is it, Mako?"

"How are you, Korra? I'm sorry we haven't had an opportunity to just relax. Things have been so busy lately…"

She sat in a chair closer to him, her face one of worry, with a hidden layer of exhaustion that Mako picked up on.

"I know. I've been well."

"What have you been up to? I mean, when you're not coming to my rescue, of course."

"I've been spending a lot of time in the Spirit World. Tenzin and I meet there sometimes, but I mainly just want to explore it and understand it better. Plus I'm still searching for a way to restore my past lives, but I don't know if that's possible."

"Shouldn't it be? Didn't Tenzin say he saw Aang in the Fog of Lost Souls?"

"That's what I'm using as the foundation for my search. If Aang's spirit appeared there, maybe the past Avatars are still out there, somewhere."

There was a silence, and Mako broke it, apprehension building inside of him.

"Look. I know you're retired, and I know you just want to stay with Asami, but…"

"What is it?" she asked slowly.

"I really think that you going with the airbenders to Kyoshi Island would send a good message to the world that their Avatar…"

"No."

"Korra, please- just hear me out."

She crossed her arms angrily.

"I know you did your best during the Collapse and that you think the people have lost faith in you, but… things are bad now. Worse, even, than the Collapse. We're all at each other's throats and I think this Shen guy is bad news. I'm not saying you have to fight or anything, but the world knowing that you went to Kyoshi Island would do wonders for morale all over. The people need to know that their Avatar is keeping an eye on things."

Korra sighed, and Mako felt a pang of guilt. He hated to drag her into the mess that was politics again, but he knew that his first instinct was right.

She sighed, and Mako knew that she begrudgingly agreed.

"You're right. I just… I didn't want to repeat it all over again, you know? I didn't want to have to deal with another Kuvira, or another Zaheer, or see so many people get hurt only to see me fail them like I did at Zaofu. I didn't…" she trailed off, her eyes distant.

"You didn't want to get hurt again by people like Zaheer. You just wanted out."

She nodded wordlessly.

"I've had a feeling that someone was going to ask me to come back, but I don't know what good I would do. The way the world is now… it's nothing like when we were teenagers."

Mako smirked.

"I hear you."

Korra looked at him, a small smile playing across her lips.

"I've been having this nightmare for the last month or so. I'm in a valley, somewhere to the north. It's all muddy and ruined, and then I see an army with tanks and machines of all sorts. I can see in the nightmare that they're wearing the sigil of the Fire Nation. Then I look to the other side and I see Earth Nation soldiers. And then they fight and they all die for a stretch of mud."

Mako looked at her in concern.

"You've been having the same one for weeks?"

"Yep."

"Is it… do you think it's an Avatar vision or something?"

"I wish I knew, Mako."

She stood slowly, smiling.

"It was good to see you again, Mako, but I'd better start getting ready."

"Thanks for agreeing to this. I know how hard this all is on you. Give my regards to Asami."

"Knowing her, she'll have some choice words for you in person," Korra smirked, before walking out quickly, leaving Mako in fear of _both_ of his ex-girlfriends yelling at him.

* * *

The Satomobile ground to a halt as Lieutenant Lei stepped on the brakes and disengaged the engine. While the Sato Badgermole was an effective and hardy car- hence its popularity in the Fire Nation's military- the squat, utilitarian vehicle was a far cry from the sleek and polished Dragon luxury cars.

Colonel Jia Qin, commander of the 13th Firebending Regiment, straightened her formal uniform before exiting the car, nodding thankfully to the valet who took the wheel from Lei.

"How long do we have to stay here, ma'am?" Lei asked, a hint of annoyance entering her tone.

"Only an hour or so. You're free to do something else if you want, Lieutenant."

Jia couldn't help but smile at her aide's trademark hyperactivity as they entered the large, fancy dining hall that was filled to the brim with the military and civilian leaders of Fire Nation society.

Grandfather Lee, of course, would have disapproved of the way things were, but Jia knew that attending this dinner would win her serious points within the command structure. The waiter walked up, looking at her dress uniform pointedly.

"Are you with General Azi's party, ma'am?"

"That's correct."

"Follow me, then."

Jia followed the waiter until they reached a large, separate dining room filled with military personnel. As always, as if an invisible line were present, a veritable horde of aides and adjutants with lower ranks milled on the left side, while the higher ranked officers talked and dined more formally on the right.

"You know how it goes, Lei. I'll get you when I'm through."

"Spirits, there's General Shadak's adjutant. I hate his guts."

Jia laughed, making a beeline for General Azi. Azi, the commander of the 1st Division, was a rigidly traditional military man, and had been friends with Jia's grandfather, the famous Imperial Firebender Qin Lee.

Azi caught her eye immediately.

"Ah, Colonel. I'm very pleased to see you- very pleased, indeed. I trust your journey here wasn't too bad? I'm aware that this venue is quite far from your regimental billets."

"Of course not, sir. It's my pleasure. I'm sorry to hear that you're retiring."

"Ah, at least you mean it. Half of these vultures are glad to see me gone. You wait and see, Colonel, there'll be a vacuum after I'm gone, and I pray that my successor doesn't _obliterate_ all of the work I've done."

While Jia felt a sort of affection for the old man, she had to admit that he liked to toot his own horn. Then again, his self-appreciation paled in comparison to some of the politicians up top, so she was willing to forgive it.

"I am very glad you came, though, Colonel. Your grandfather would be very proud of your accomplishments. Of course, when I knew him, I was more than a few years his junior, but I knew that your grandfather was a good man at heart, no matter his rather... _tumultuous_ past."

Tumultuous was a bit of an understatement, in Jia's opinion. Her grandfather, who had been an elite firebender during the Hundred Years' War, had been imprisoned for war crimes after the war, and had managed to get house imprisonment due to his cooperation during the trials. His career, which had taken him from the famous siege of Ba Sing Se to the Phoenix King's fleet during the closing days of the war, had been published by her grandfather in the form of memoirs, which sold extremely well.

While Jia had always adored and been fascinated by her grandfather's stories, the way his testimonials were being used recently angered her more than she cared to say. The nationalists had lately been using his stories as proof that the Fire Nation was superior to the others and as reinforcement for their program of rearmament and militarization. Of course, they conveniently left out the bits that featured her grandfather expressing his guilt towards his crimes and preaching peace over war, but of course politicians never paid any credence to facts.

"Thank _you_ , General. You honor me."

"Oh, nonsense. The Qin family is well-off already without a blustery old man getting in the way. Enjoy the party, Colonel. Thank you for coming."

Jia saluted stiffly- a gesture that was returned halfheartedly by the elderly general.

* * *

As she suspected, the party was long and boring, but she eventually found her way to a conversation with several Colonels in the 5th Armored Division.

"I'm telling you, the Gonglu is a _bad sign_. If they have that much overwhelming support, they could be a force to be reckoned within a year, maybe even less."

"As if. The Confederation's military was more or less a police force. They'd need to pull money out of their collective arse to rearm with the newest equipment and vehicles, and the Fire Nation sure as hell won't sell to them."

"I say bring it on," muttered a stony-faced woman whose name was Ro or something. "We almost whipped the Dirties in the Hundred Years' War, and we whipped them during the Kuvira Wars, so I say let them come."

Jia flinched at the derogatory term. Her grandfather had said that it was widespread during the Hundred Years' War, but it had fallen out of common lingo after the reformation of the Fire Nation. Now, with the Nationalists in power, she had heard the term more and more.

"Look, there ain't gonna be any sort of war. Fire Lord Iroh will fight the Assembly at every turn. If he gets out of the way, then we can mobilize."

"It's a shame he's not like his mother. My older brother fought beside her during the Battle of Republic City, and Spirits- he couldn't stop praising her. She lost a leg in the fighting there. It's unfortunate that she abdicated."

"Ahh, Iroh's good enough. He was a fine commander in the United Forces, I hear. He was just kind of stuck with the throne when his mother wanted out. Speaking of which, I heard from my cousin's friend that she's working with the White Lotus now…"

The conversation trailed off as Jia walked away, downing her glass of wine and nodding towards Lei. As they walked through the restaurant, Jia pondered the conversation. While Jia abhorred politics, she had always found she was more moderate for most issues. Yet since the dark years, the Nationalists had found more and more power within the government, leading to a more military mindset, even amongst the civilians.

To her, it seemed like the whole world had gone mad, and she knew that it was only a matter of time before tempers rose to the point where the day she had long feared would arrive.


	5. Chapter 5: Premonitions

The room was brighter than he had expected; the legendary meeting room for the Council of Five was, in essence, more of a large balcony, with large, open windows looking down upon the fancy tenements of Ba Sing Se's upper ring. Far beyond the curtain wall, the urban haze that eternally swathed the lower ring and the wall villages obscured much from view. He remembered what it had been like, down there, as a young man. Scraping together anything he could just to live another day, dodging muggers and Triads in the hopes of making a living...

He shook his head briefly, bringing himself back into the present.

A large world map, colored and extremely detailed, lay before him. Small figurines of soldiers, tanks, aircraft, and ships were scattered about the green mass of the Earth Confederacy like a thick forest of bamboo, each representing a regiment or division of troops. Before him, the five men he had chosen to resurrect the Council stood wordlessly, examining the table and consulting with aides intently.

It was almost historic; the Council of Five hadn't met since the waning days of the Hundred Years' War, that historic and epic conflict that had seen great heroism and depravity fight for dominance over the world. Now, ever since the other Nations had castrated the Earth Confederacy's military, a scant few military divisions remained from the glory days of Kuvira's rule, yet another insult on the list of travesties inflicted upon the Earth Nation.

All five generals had a storied and colorful history. General Ming, an elderly man, had grown up during the last year of the Hundred Years' War, and had led soldiers in the Earth Kingdom through most of its modern life. General Xiaosheng, a gaunt, but shrewd tactician, had fought pirates. The others had led soldiers in one way or another all their lives, and all were known to be ruthless, efficient, and brilliant commanders. And now, their attention was solely on him. It was humbling, truth be told. Who was he, he thought to himself, to rise through society's rings so quickly? A simple, poor child had transformed himself into the most powerful man in the nation.

"I want to build this nation's military so that it is stronger than ever before. How long would that take and what would that require?" he asked, simply.

The Generals looked at each other in concern. General How, a descendant of a famous general from the Hundred Years' War, looked almost surprised.

"All due respect, Prime Minister, it is not so simple. Of course, we can get the administrative departments for more precise analyses, but…"

"Just give it to me straight."

"Half a year to reach partial deployment, a full year to reach full deployment. That would be, for reference's sake, the level of preparedness the Earth Empire had, sir," said Wu, the Grand Secretariat of the city.

While he liked to masquerade as an administrator of sorts, it was well known to all that Grand Secretariat Wu was the secretive leader of the Dai Li, and was generally knowledgeable about most goings-on throughout the world. Shen was quite familiar with the man, and the two had a mutual respect from Shen's stint in the Dai Li.

"I hardly think that's a realistic-" spluttered General Tuan, the last member of the Council.

"I have it on good authority that the Northern Water Tribe would be open to trading with us. Any attempt to buy weapons from the Fire Nation or United Republic would lead to an embargo, but if we channel our goods through the North, we can equip our army with all the capabilities of our rivals," Wu retorted.

"Equipment isn't the issue, it's…"

"Training? We have a population of approximately 400 million, of which maybe 247 million are military aged. If we have a cause, we can begin with a military of around 3 million volunteers, and introduce conscription if needed. While benders may need more training, our nonbending population can be taught the rudiments of soldiering and rifle-drill in considerably less time, so yes, I'd say equipment and logistics are the bigger problem," Wu said with a smirk.

Shen looked at the Secretariat with an expression of amusement.

"An ignorant exaggeration-" Tuan spluttered.

"You mentioned that if we had a cause, we could have more volunteers. Do you think an United Republic assault on our borders would do it?" Shen interrupted.

The Generals muttered amongst themselves in confusion.

"Sir, most of the civilians, not to mention the military, still view the URN as a peacekeeping nation. I think, if our people were to rally against an invader, it would be the Fire Nation… but all of this is irrelevant. Why would the United Republic _or_ the Fire Nation attack us?" General How asked, his face serious and somewhat intrigued.

More mutters of agreement. Shen could feel the energy in the room, and it made him happy; he had their attention now. No matter what doubts they had of him, the thought of combat and glory was enough to make even those old geezers enthused.

"I concur. Many families have been raised to hate the Fire Nation since even the Great War. As for how, given their aggressive government, it would be easy enough to provoke them into war... if that is what you desire," Wu said, sharing a knowing glance with Shen.

Shen nodded with a smirk, standing from his seat and regarding the islands that resembled a question mark of sorts, the ones that had long ago brutalized the world into submission. This time, it would the Earth Nation that would stand victorious in the world's eternal struggle.

"I thank you for your help, gentlemen. With your help and brilliance, we will show this world that the Earth Nation is not to be trifled with. Long live the Earth Nation!"

As the Generals conferred amongst themselves, Shen turned towards the door, smiling to himself. His plans were, at long last, coming to fruition. He would make his Nation a force to be reckoned with, and his dreams of a supreme Earth Nation would be realized.

* * *

 _The forest is unlike anything he had ever seen before. Instead of the menacing, foggy swamp-like jungle he and his siblings had once been trapped in, this one was more like the temperate forests of the Earth Kingdom. Peaceful. Serene, even._

 _A lone figure appeared in the distance, and Tenzin's heart leapt. The vibrant orange and red of an Airbender's robes stood out like a angry forest fire amongst the tall trees. Tenzin called out desperately, running towards the figure, his only thoughts being about his father._

 _He knows that it isn't really his father, though. The Aang he saw in the Fog was simply internal; a reflection of his long-dormant self-doubt and fear._

 _He knows that he will never see his father again, and despair ebbs into his soul._

The scene melted away, and Tenzin opened his eyes, taking a sharp breath.

The stony colossus of Avatar Yangchen looked back at him, her chiseled eyes closed in meditation. Tenzin stood, grunting with the effort. He didn't like that part of old age. There had been a time where he could do somersaults and complex airbending moves. Not anymore. Now, he struggled to do a fair amount of things, which was why he honed his mind and spirituality instead of his body.

If being old made him miss the days of Amon, he knew, something was seriously awry.

Tenzin, of late, had devoted himself to 'mapping' the Spirit World as best he could, with Korra's help. Of course, the very nature of the Spirit World made this task near impossible, but they had made serious progress expanding the world's knowledge of the spiritual realm. Of course, this had meant he and Korra had had some nasty run-ins with Wan Shi Tong and other Spirits that had welcomed Unalaq and Vaatu, but the majority of the Spirits welcomed human interest in their home.

After he had formally 'retired', he had spent much time training Airbenders and studying Airbending techniques so as to strengthen the knowledge of his people. These days, he left such things to Jinora and the kids, preferring to pour over old tomes or even begin writing his own memoirs.

As if on cue, the light footsteps of someone entering the mossy, slightly breezy stone chamber registered to his ears, and he turned, smiling at his daughter. He often remembered how Jinora had been all those years ago; a curious, if not naive youth who loved books and reading and had not a care in the world. He loved Jinora more than anything, but she worried him lately. The burdens of leadership were not easy on the girl, and she had changed.

No... woman, he reminded himself. Jinora was in her thirties now. The curious teen was gone, replaced by a passionate but steely woman who had been hardened by the rigors of politics and the chaos of the Collapse. She hugged him tightly, and Tenzin planted a kiss on her forehead.

"Good to see you, Jinora. How are things?"

"Good, dad. I wanted…"

He could sense a wary restraint.

"Advice?"

"Yes."

"What is it?"

"Korra's here. She's in the main tower."

Tenzin smiled. He hadn't seen the Avatar for quite some time. It would be good to catch up.

"There's a problem. The Earth Confederacy is threatening Kyoshi Island- ordering them to submit and join the Gonglu or risk destruction by the new Confederate Army. We spoke to Ikki and Meelo on the telephone, and they're saying the Earth Nation has almost doubled their army's size and strength, and are making preparations to march on Kyoshi."

Tenzin stroked his beard in worry. He had been aware, of course, of the situation in the world, but he had admittedly looked past. Spirituality was more important to him than the petty squabbles of radicals, and similar events during the Collapse had worked themselves out. Perhaps he had been wrong.

"So Korra wants to confront the Earth Confederacy."

"At the behest of Mako, yes. The Kyoshi Warriors contacted him several days ago, and Mako decided to not send the United Forces in fear of triggering a war. Since our people are nomadic peacekeepers, he thought we would be the most diplomatic solution."

Tenzin couldn't help but smile. The hot-tempered firebender he had known once had become quite the successful politician after finishing his career as a police officer. It was interesting to see how much people had changed- for better or for worse.

"And what do you think?"

Tenzin gestured to the mossy stone, sitting there peacefully as Jinora airbent herself into the meditative pose. She sighed, brushing a lock of hair from her forehead in frustration, her face lined with weariness and stress.

"I don't know. We're not equipped to fight a war, Dad. The best we could probably do is evacuate the Kyoshi citizens to United Republic territory. At the same time, however, I can't just let Korra try to take on the whole Earth Nation army. They've got tanks, mech-suits, airships, and so much more. I trust Korra, but… she tried so hard to withdraw herself from politics. She came back during the Collapse, but… I think her confidence is shattered again. She's suffered so much and the world keeps tearing itself apart."

"Have faith in Korra, Jinora. She's been through worse. I think that a diplomatic solution may still be possible."

"But will Shen just roll over? The Kyoshi Warriors don't want to give up their territory; they'd view it as a grave dishonor."

"You're worried about something else."

Jinora sighed again, slumping over ever so slightly.

"I mean… you've felt it, Dad, haven't you? Everything feels… _weird_. I feel anxious for no reason lately, and my gut tells me that something bad is coming. What if it's another war? It seems like everyone is at each other's throat, and this may be the nudge that pushes us into devastation."

"It won't. We're too advanced now to devolve into the conflicts of our ancestors. And even if we do, things are different now, Jinora. The Air Nation is stronger and wiser now- we won't get wiped out like during the Hundred Years' War. We have more influence now… more respect. With Korra by our side, we can prevent more bloodshed and return to a time of peace and prosperity"

"Do you really believe that? Besides, we all took oaths. We can't fight a war without sacrificing our beliefs. Our enemies won't have the same restraint. You haven't seen the Gonglu in action, Dad. They're fanatical… _ruthless_. It's like the stories Grandfather Aang wrote down about Sozin, Ozai, and the Fire Nation."

Tenzin lay his hand on his daughter's shoulder. If he was being honest, he had shared many of her concerns, but what she needed was a boost of confidence.

"We survived Amon and Harmonic Convergence, Jinora. You saved the world and Korra from 10,000 years of darkness, and then we rebuilt the Air Nation from _nothing_. You defeated Zaheer when he had… hurt Korra and you led our people when Kuvira attacked Republic City. You have a family and a Nation that would do anything for you, and there is no way that we can fail. We're in this together, and we'll figure things out as we always have. "

She nodded, looking at him in appreciation.

"Thanks, Dad."

"Let's head back. I've got to go lecture Korra about her studies," he said, grinning.

* * *

With a roar of engines, the large machine's propellers swirled into action. Outside the cockpit, it was deafeningly loud, but inside it was relatively quiet. Varrick regarded the controls in dismay, throwing the throttle forward and yelping in fear as the machine barely missed the support column of the warehouse he was in. Smoke filled the cockpit and he spluttered, lowering the controls. Fixing his mustache, he settled the thing down, scowling as he powered the engines down and popped the cockpit door open.

"I told you to calibrate the top propellers with the rear ones, dammit! Where's Zhu Li?!"

He stopped himself, reminding himself that she wasn't his assistant, and that he had to cherish and respect her above all else. Or at least that was what she had yelled at him the last time they fought. The gaggle of engineers around the landing pad looked at him in varying degrees of shock. He wiped his grimy face and tore his flying cap off, downing a fruit smoothie in a single gulp as he wiped the soot off of his face.

He felt a presence behind him and whirled around, settled into an exaggerated combat pose so as to ward off potential attackers, but staggered and fell on his rear as he realized it was Zhu Li.

"Zhu Li! Thank the Spirits you're here. I missed you!"

Zhu Li smiled warmly, kissing him lightly on the cheek.

"How's it going with the prototype? I don't think I've seen this one yet."

"It's called a rotocopter! Those big honking propeller thingies on the top spin around at a certain, adjustable angle, manipulating air currents and producing lift. It's pretty much like the airships that Asami makes, but SMALLER! With the tail rotor thing back there, we can make a highly maneuverable aircraft that could REVOLUTIONIZE the AIR INDUSTRY! YEAH!"

He jumped up enthusiastically, before stopping short and rubbing his back as it cramped.

"Monkey feathers! I've got to stop doing that. Anyways… how was the South?"

He had sent Zhu Li to inspect the Varrick Industries headquarters in the Southern Water Tribe. Technically, Varrick Global Industries was based there, but he spent most of his time in Republic City, as he loved the town more than anything other than his lovely wife. And they also had those nice pumice rocks for his callouses.

"I need to talk to you about something… in private."

Varrick shot a meaningful glance at the engineers who practically ran for the door, having been working for roughly three days without much break.

"Ahh, I'll have to round 'em up later. What's on your mind, Zhu Li?"

"I heard a… disturbing rumor. A contact of mine in the South told me that the Gonglu have reclaimed one of Kuvira's old bases in the Si Wong Desert. The one that I used to work in."

Varrick's mood instantly dropped. He had been keeping tabs on the situation in the Earth Nation, and while it had been concerning from a business standpoint, the implications for his own preferably active life were worrying at the least.

"Are they…"

"I don't know. My contact seemed to think so. The Gonglu have been overhauling the Earth Confederacy's military- they've been buying equipment from Cabbage Corp and some companies in the North like nobody's business. It stands to reason that they're developing other weapons."

"I thought we ensured that no one would be able to replicate that technology? Bataar is still in Zaofu, right? And he's changed after his house arrest, so it can't be him. And it's sure as heck not either of us, so…"

"I don't know. Maybe it's spirit vine tech, maybe it's something else, but it can't be good."

"Agreed. We'll have to send a message over to Korra, see if she can do anything about it."

Zhu Li sighed, sitting on a crate nearby.

"There's a war coming, isn't there?"

"I'm afraid so, honey. I'm afraid so."


	6. Chapter 6: Sparking the Blasting-Powder

As the small tropical island zoomed ever closer, its pale tan runway barreling closer into view, Lady Izumi of the Fire Nation found herself sighing with fatigue. It had been a long journey, and while the airplane ride had been considerably shorter than the airship flights of old, sitting so long in the stiff seats tired her out. Of course, she was tired most days now. The reality of her age was increasingly difficult for her to accept. Some days she felt as energetic and lively as she had been in her prime, and others she felt broken, empty, and simply old. Eighty-five was a good age, of course, to still be active. Perhaps she would live to be as old as Avatar Kyoshi. Then again, perhaps not.

The plane came to a halt, the roar of the propellers dying down, and the blue-and-white suited attendants opened the door, allowing Izumi to exit the airplane and become immersed in the heavy, damp air. Bright green palm trees and heavy brush surrounded the airstrip, and the bright cry of sparrowkeets and insects filled the air.

A trio of men in military uniforms with the crest of the White Lotus stood at attention.

"Lady Izumi. We apologize for not being more prepared, we were only just-"

Izumi strode down the steps, waving her hand dismissively.

"Any sort of courtesy we could afford was destroyed after the second Red Lotus infiltration. Protocol has changed now, Master Min Ki."

He bowed, flustered, and Izumi brushed past them, walking into the cooler processing yard. As she approached a pair of guards, they looked as if they wanted to halt her for a moment, but a meaningful glare silenced any thought of resistance and they stepped aside, letting her through.

Several layers of security later, she entered the main compound, and after glaring at another group of guards to close the cell door behind her, she calmed her ire and concentrated.

It was a fairly large courtyard, perhaps a little bigger than the Royal Gardens back in the Capital, and was as nice of a prison as one could ask for. A medium sized house with flowerbeds sat in the far corner, and a bubbling brook with vibrant, well-groomed gardens slashed through the grassy yard. Her purpose for coming to the godforsaken island was meditating beneath a tree. Her once iconic jet-black hair was streaked with gray, but it was carefully maintained; a testament to the prisoner's meticulous nature.

"Lady Izumi. It's been quite a while since you came to talk. You've gotten older," she observed.

Izumi smiled weakly, sitting on a nearby bench. Her back had been giving her trouble, but she pushed the discomfort away. She had a purpose here.

"It has been quite a while. I apologize."

Kuvira, the Great Uniter, opened her eyes slowly, staying in her meditative position, her mossy green eyes regarding Izumi with a sort of calm bemusement.

"What troubles you, Fire Lord?"

Izumi frowned. She had gotten quite used to _not_ being called that.

"I wanted to ask you about someone who once served under you. A man named Shen."

Kuvira smiled, closing her eyes again.

"Ah, the Great Shen. Even in exile, I've heard about him. It seems he's causing quite the clamor back home. I apologize for that."

"Did you know him?"

"His name came up in a few reports. He was a mech-suit pilot belonging to…" she squinted, thinking briefly, "...the 13th Mobile Regiment. He won a few medals for fighting in the battles for Shaogong and Jehung. If I recall correctly, He and one other pilot held off four mercenary bands for two days before our forces were able to relieve them."

Izumi crossed her arms silently. Kuvira smiled, closing her eyes once more and facing forward, every part of her body still except for her mouth.

"What's impressive about _that_ , Fire Lord, is that he was only eighteen when he did that."

Izumi leaned forward, her interest successfully piqued.

"Tell me _everything_."

* * *

As Jinora and her father entered the large, pale-walled chamber, the sound of Meelo's voice seemed to echo through the room ethereally, grating on her a little. Then again, Jinora thought to herself, her younger brother's ego was probably large enough to qualify as a sentient deity, so perhaps she had even more cause for worry.

"I'm not going to lie to you. This mission is going to be a toughie. The bad guys are gonna be there in force, and we're going to have a bunch of warriors with metal fans on our side, so we're going to have our work cut out for us. It'd be easier if we had Korra's ex-boyfriend-" Jinora winced "- to help us with the United Forces, but what are you gonna do?"

Korra smiled, catching Jinora's eye, and made her way around the group of twenty or thirty airbenders.

"Glad to see your brother hasn't changed that much."

Jinora chuckled softly.

"Hey, at least he's not fartbending now, so I suppose we have to be thankful for that."

"No kidding." Korra shifted her gaze to Tenzin, bowing her head slightly in respect.

"Long time no see, Tenzin."

"Likewise, Korra. I only wish this reunion could have been under better conditions."

An outbreak of muttering caught Jinora's attention, and she looked up to see the Airbenders splitting off to gather supplies and equipment while Meelo and Kai walked towards them.

"Good to see you again, Korra!" Kai said cheerfully, winking at Jinora.

"We're gonna whip those bad guys like nobody's business, sis; don't you worry."

Jinora smirked.

"Did mom make you dumplings again? Or are you _actually_ confident?"

"Shut _up_ ," he skulked.

He blushed, and Jinora laughed. Her brother had changed a lot through the Collapse, becoming an actually respected leader and master within the Air Nation, but some things never really changed. Part of her missed the goofy kid she had grown up with, but even beneath the shaggy hair and goatee, the old Meelo still remained.

She found herself missing her sister. Ikki had volunteered to distribute supplies among some of the poorer cities in the Northern Water Tribe, and had last been in contact a few weeks ago to request more supplies. It felt like it had been years since the three of them had been in one place, as they were all busy leading the various Temples of the Air Nation.

She missed having her siblings close. Having them by her side gave her strength and confidence. Though she supposed that their bickering would annoy her after a few seconds.

A large, heavily muscled brute of an airbender sidled up to Meelo, beckoning him away to talk logistics and plans. Kai smiled warmly at Jinora, following him, leaving Tenzin, Korra, and Jinora alone in the cavernous place.

"What's wrong, Korra? You look troubled."

Korra jolted, as if she had been woken from a trance.

"Sorry. I just… I don't know. I feel like this is all my fault. If I hadn't tried to step back from things all those years ago… maybe the Collapse wouldn't have happened. Maybe all of this craziness wouldn't have happened. I'm a bad Avatar."

Tenzin shook his head.

"If anything, you're one of the _best_ Avatars. You brought back the Air Nation from the brink of extinction. You defeated Amon, Zaheer, Kuvira, and averted so many crises that I can't even keep count. The Collapse wasn't a calamity you could have prevented; you're an Avatar… not a economist."

An acolyte tapped Tenzin's shoulder, requesting his presence. Her father bowed apologetically and followed the Acolyte outside, leaving Jinora and Korra alone again, the activity around them picking up as the airbenders prepared to move out.

"Can we do this, Jinora? We don't even know what strength the Gonglu will have. I haven't had the greatest track record lately as the Avatar. I think I'll just follow you…"

Jinora shook her head, cutting Korra off.

"You need to snap out of it, Korra. We've all made mistakes in our life, but you're the _Avatar_. You have the strength to do what must be done, and I know you'll do it."

"But…"

"You've already done more incredible things. You stopped a dark spirit from devouring our planet in darkness for 10,000 years… I think you can handle a few tin cans."

"I couldn't have done that without _you_ , though," she pointed out.

"That's why we're going in as a _team_. Together, we can do this no problem. I know it."

They hugged, but an involuntary sense of doubt gnawed at Jinora's heart. She didn't know why, but as she said the words, they seemed to feel… _empty_. And she hated that feeling.

* * *

 _These last few decades have been ones of great chaos and strife. Nearly every Nation on this Earth has wronged us; the Fire Nation and their arrogant imperialism caused the Collapse in the first place. They're all parasites, feeding on the strength of others to get what they want, decades after killing, raping, and plundering our great Nation! The United Republic touts itself as the paragon of equality and fairness, but their streets, populace, even their government are crawling with despicable criminals and insidious corruption, and they enjoyed every wealth and luxury while we suffered_!

Hyun clasped his hands behind his back, enjoying the stiffness of his uniform. He still remembered the sense of joy he had gotten when Shen asked him to head the mission. Oh, how the Council of Five must have been _fuming_. That a filthy peasant like Hyun be promoted to Commander and be appointed to head an entire task force of ten thousand determined soldiers to begin the final unification of the Earth Nation must have frustrated them beyond imagining.

He looked outside the large bay windows of the airship, peering over the instruments and shoulders of the pilots to look at the convoy of trucks, tanks, and mechs marching in close order. He was glad that his task force had been given every shipment of modern supplies available to them; right now, they were the most heavily armed and modernized unit the Earth Nation's army.

 _Every day, our great Nation is brought down by these greedy politicians, not to mention the corrupting influence of foreigners, bandits, and thieves. Your tireless work- your work for your families, your community, your friends… it is all spat upon and made meaningless by the legions of undesirables who stream, every day, within our borders to weaken our grasp._

 _It is for this reason that I, with the full cooperation and support of the Confederate Congress, have decided to reform the Earth Confederacy into the Second Earth Empire!_

There it was. Hyun's chest swelled with pride as the words he had been waiting for filtered through the static of the radio. He knew that each man in the task force below him was proud and honored to be a part of such a momentous event in history.

Besides, his mission was to force the _Kyoshi Warriors_ into submission. Sure, he reasoned, they may have been respectable once, but now they were just a sad, outdated warrior society that threatened to undermine everything Shen had worked for. Hyun was not willing to allow that to happen.

 _In the same way Kuvira, the Great Uniter, brought strength prosperity to our troubled Nation, we- together- shall unite behind a single banner to take our rightful place in the world! No longer shall the greedy world leaders take advantage of our disunity and weakness… no longer shall our glorious Nation be considered a second-class world power. With your tireless dedication and fervor, I know that the Earth Empire shall become the_ only _world power in the world, and will allow us to all reap the benefits from our Spirit-endowed supremacy._

 _Long live the people of the Earth Empire and long live our glorious Nation!_

As thunderous applause drowned out the radio announcer's commentary, Hyun's airship crested the large mountain. There, in the distance, dozens of miles away, the dim form of Kyoshi Island was just recognizable on the horizon, swathed in smoke and rain.

And it was ripe for the taking.

* * *

Zhi looked across the broad ocean, catching the dim shadow of the Unagi gliding beneath the ocean to her left, straying out of her peripheral vision like an ancient spirit toying with her.

She wished she could say the same about the encroaching army.

Her scouts had told her of their coming long before they could be seen from the island, but now they formed out of the rainy mist with all the malice and terror of a horror mover. At least ten thousand men, she had been told. Tanks, airships, mech-suits, and bending soldiers with thousands of non-bending riflemen. All equipped with the latest and most advanced weaponry. And what did she have at her disposal? No more than 500 warriors and initiates, armed with barely enough modern rifles, some crossbows from decades ago, and a dusty collection of spears, shields, bows, swords, and, of course, fans?

It was hardly a fighting force capable of defeating the _Second Earth Empire's_ finest. All she could do was hold out long enough to allow the civilians and as many warriors she could manage to evacuate.

Her mind traveled back to her training with Master Suki.

How would the venerable old warrior react to this calamity, she wondered? Probably with the fiery, determined look she usually got when her people and sisters were threatened.

 _Suki would probably think this fitting,_ Zhi thought to herself. _Here we are, once again, poised to defend our community against a totalitarian dictator. Their names are even similar; too bad I can't give Shen the same treatment Avatar Kyoshi gave Chin the Conqueror._

She sensed a presence beside her, and opened her eyes, looking at Shila, her second-in-command. The makeshift command post they had set up on top of the main training building was bustling with activity as civilian volunteers, policemen from the city, and warriors operated radios and poured over maps, positioning their meager army in an attempt to curtail the leviathan approaching them.

"We're as ready as we are going to get, _Sifu_ ," she said, her pale visage determined and impetuous.

Zhi wondered if she had made the right choice. Perhaps it would have been easier for her to submit to the Gonglu. It would have saved her people much pain. Was her determination to be free going to be the death knell for the people of Kyoshi Island?

She looked again at Shila's face, and the scared but earnest expressions all throughout the command post, and was reassured.

A warrior in full battle armor clattered up the stairs to the roof, waving frantically towards the sky.

" _Sifu_! It's the Avatar!"

The small shadow of a glider emerged from the clouds, followed by twenty or so flying bison, and hope rekindled itself in her heart.

* * *

 **Hey everyone!**

 **I want to apologize quickly for the insane wait for new updates. I have been writing a lot, but it's mostly been on personal projects unrelated to FF, as well as helping out with the Probending Tournament group as a judge. To be honest, I've been a little lacking in motivation to update, but I'd like to maintain what I've started, so I'm going to try my hardest to give you guys at least some semblance of a regular update.**

 **Thank you for your patience! Hopefully my other running stories will have updates relatively soon. As always, I'm open to feedback.**

 **-IGdude117**


	7. Chapter 7: The Battle of Kyoshi Island

The glider swooped down and Korra dismounted gracefully, slinging the staff on her back again as she strode towards the cluster of surprised-looking Kyoshi Warriors. Her deep blue, tight-fitting combat armor was the tiniest bit restricting, but it would protect her from light shrapnel or glancing hits, so she was more than willing to make that sacrifice. She vaulted over the railing to the command post and smiled tiredly at the dozen or so white-and-red painted faces looking up at her. A few men in police uniforms looked like they had seen a ghost.

"Where is Master Zhi?"

A tall, green-eyed woman stepped forward, bowing traditionally; a gesture that Korra returned in kind.

"I'm Master Zhi, Avatar. It is a great honor-"

"I appreciate your respect, Master Zhi, but I don't think we've got time for pleasantries, do you? Just call me Korra."

A momentary look of surprise passed over the woman's face before a grim expression took over again. She nodded.

"You're right. I hope you have a plan… _Korra_ , or we're in big trouble."

"What can you tell me about the Earth Nation troops?"

Zhi nodded towards another woman and grabbed a clipboard, flipping through a few pages.

"Our latest reports indicate that the Earth Empire troops number roughly around nine to ten thousand. We've sighted tanks with heavy guns, Kuvira-pattern mech suits, airships with electricity generators and cannons, as well as a large amount of bending and non-bending troops."

Korra wasn't surprised. Asami had been telling her about Shen's ingenious methods of supplying his army, and it seemed that they were equipped with the finest Cabbage Corp and Satoru Enterprises supplies available (though, to be fair, that wasn't saying much).

"Understood. We have roughly twenty airbenders and bison. Master Meelo of the Southern Air Temple managed to charter a fleet of around fifteen fishing boats and freighters to aid in evacuation efforts. My plan is to confront the Earth Empire leader directly in hopes of securing a negotiation. While I do that, you coordinate the evacuation. If worst comes to worst, the airbenders and your warriors will hold the Earth Empire's assault long enough for noncombatants to evacuate, and then we will evacuate anyone left and go to United Republic space."

"This would be easier with the United Forces!" said Zhi's second-in-command, indignantly.

Zhi silenced her and nodded.

"Your plan is sound, but I agree with my sister here. Why were the United Forces not sent?"

Korra sighed.

"Long story; it boils down to politics. The Airbenders and I can do this because we're neutral parties. President Mako cannot. But that doesn't really matter now; i'll fly out to the enemy army and try to talk them down. You continue your evacuation."

Zhi nodded, just in time for Kai to land next to her, his glider-suit's wings folding back.

"Meelo says he's ready to begin…" he cringed slightly, "...Operation Beat the Bad Guys Up and Save the Day."

Korra smirked.

"We ought to teach him how to come up with better operation names. I'm going to head over."

"Be careful, Korra. Don't do anything…"

"...stupid? I wouldn't dream of it."

With that, she redeployed her glider and propelled herself upwards into the air, reveling in the adrenaline and sense of duty that flowed through her veins.

* * *

Private Zheng was a simple man. At 19 years old, he didn't know much about life other than the seasonal differences in grain harvests and the local gossip of his small hometown. He had joined Shen the Great and his Gonglu out of a mixture of fervent belief and convenience. As with most small towns in the old Confederacy, he had seen firsthand the devastation and pain wrought by bandits and Triads. His best friend's sister had been kidnapped by Triad gangsters, and she had never been seen again.

He wasn't a bender or anything, so life's hardships were just a little harder, but with the insane new technology that had spread like wildfire throughout the entire Nation, he could wield all the power of one.

Huian, the squad sergeant, kicked his knee with her foot, smiling. She leaned forward, balancing

"What do you have to look so nervous about, private?"

There were some laughs from the older troopers in the squad. Zheng was the newcomer with a few other younger soldiers from different training battalions. Quite frankly, Zheng was often both terrified and in awe of the older soldiers. Huian, for instance, had fought in the State Wars, for Ba Sing Se, before she had joined the Gonglu. Many of the others had fought for one of the dozens of state armies, and many had even fought on different sides. Now, however, they were united under a single banner- a single purpose, and that was a beautiful thing, he supposed.

"Sorry, sergeant. It's just… I've heard stories about these Kyoshi warriors…"

Huian waved a hand dismissively.

"Sure, maybe during the Hundred Years' War. But _now_? They're just a bunch of wannabe warriors who barely have any modern weapons. They're not even benders, and they use metal fans. We've got tanks, cannons, rifles, airships, mechs, and benders. And we outnumber them by a lot. Trust in Shen and Commander Hyun. There's no way we can lose."

The confidence in the sergeant's voice was comforting to Zheng, and he leaned back, nodding in thanks.

The truck came screeching to a stop and the driver poked his head out of the window to look at something in the sky.

"What is it?!" Huian asked impatiently.

The driver turned to look at them, his face pale.

"Spirits… I… I think that was the Avatar!"

Zheng felt the blood drain from his face as Huian screamed orders at them. Warriors with fans were one thing, but the Avatar? Zheng had grown up on stories about Avatar Korra's heroics, and to come face to face with her now scared him more than anything in the world.

* * *

As Korra flew over the army, her mind traveled back to Zaofu, confronting Kuvira with her legions behind her. The army she saw now, she knew, was much more dangerous than Kuvira's army, and she could tell that these soldiers, even after two decades, still marched for the ideals that Kuvira spilled blood for. Meaning that once again, everything she had been through all those years ago had only managed to postpone the crisis, not avert it.

She could see troop trucks and tanks come screeching to a halt, divulging hordes of men with guns and benders, but noone seemed to be firing as of yet. Somewhat relieved, she landed on top of the cliff and set down the radio pack, broadcasting to the local frequency.

"This is Avatar Korra broadcasting on this frequency. I wish to parley with the commander of the Earth Nation army here. Repeat, I wish to parley with the Earth Nation commander. My forces and I will not attack before negotiations are complete, over."

There was a momentary silence of rough static before a lower voice came on the radio.

"This is Commander Hyun of the 1st Mobile Task Force. I accept your parley offer, and we will land near you, over."

"If anyone other than yourself comes onto this cliff, we will take that as a hostile act, over."

There was another long silence.

"Roger that, over."

She smiled victoriously, changing the frequency to the one that Zhi gave her.

"Kyoshi Base, this is Korra. I just got contacted by someone named Commander Hyun. You know anything about him, over?"

"Roger that, Korra. We'll look into that, out."

She hung up the radio and sat down, balancing her staff between her crossed legs and closing her eyes, calming her pounding heart. Her first thought, was, of course, about Asami. She found herself missing those first months they spent in the Spirit World, exploring the strange, yet familiar terrain and deepening the tentative attraction that they had both felt at Varrick's wedding. When they had emerged, finding the world to be a different place, they had become closer than ever before.

It was a blissful time. Perhaps too much so. After Kuvira's imprisonment, things had died down. Nations lived together in harmony, and besides the occasional Triad crisis or bandit raid, things were peaceful. Years of this had finally convinced her to settle in Republic City, trying to keep herself out of the ugly and tainted world of politics, and concentrate on furthering her knowledge of bending and the Spirit World.

She knew, despite what people said, that her withdrawal from that life had, at least in part, caused all of this.

The radio buzzed again and she picked it up.

"Korra, this is Zhi. We don't know much, but we think that this Hyun was Shen's right hand man- his bodyguard and closest advisor. We see a few reports of him fighting for the Omashu State Army during the State Wars, and apparently he's been promoted."

The sound of rotors and clanging prompted her to turn her head. A large green-and-gray airship was hovering several yards away, and a tall man was walking down the gangplank, shouting a few indistinct words to the crew inside. As he approached, she studied him.

"Thanks, Zhi. Korra out."

She hung up the radio and slung her staff on her back, her eyes scanning Hyun for any sign of hostile intent. He was tall, with predominantly youthful features and a closely-shaved head. Yet any sign of young innocence stopped there. His face bore several scars, long and deep, scything across his face in a testament to a long-past pain. His jade eyes were clear and angry, and she could sense a simmering rage under the man's cool exterior. She made no move as he approached her, stopped, and sized her up.

"Avatar Korra. It is an _honor_ ," he said stiffly.

"Let's stop beating around the bush, shall we? You need to stop this. I don't care who you work for or what he believes, but annexing a sovereign city-state like Kyoshi is illegal and wrong."

He smiled.

"I've often heard it said that you get straight to the point. I can respect that, Avatar, but I can't respect your pleas. The Earth Empire must be united if it is to take its place in the world stage. Kyoshi Island, Zaofu, and several other cities like it represent cancerous and treasonous elements that stand in the way of true progress. Chancellor Shen has a vision for this world, and unlike the corrupt and weak world leaders, it doesn't involve greed or corruption. Unity is the only way modern nations can survive, and your interference in domestic matters makes that all the more necessary."

Korra glared at him. Listening to this Kuvira wannabe made her sick. Like all of them, his words were idealistic and powerful, but she knew that behind the grand speeches and promises of prosperity, Shen's vision only involved oppression, war, and death. Just like Kuvira, Zaheer, Unalaq, and Amon before them. Some things never changed.

"I don't know if you were around when Kuvira tried the same things you're talking about, but you won't be able to do things like this when the world stands against you as one. What you and your master are doing is wrong, and it's going to hurt millions of people. It's going to throw the balance of the world off and we'll see catastrophes and darkness like never before. Is that what you want?!"

" _Unity?!_ " he sneered. "Look around you, _Avatar_. This world stopped being united since you and your corrupt wife let the rest of us rot as death and conflict engulfed this world. You speak of protecting people, but where were you when the Collapse happened? When people were making campfires out of yuan bills and criminals killed and took what they pleased? When the rich and corrupt ruled us with all the power of the ancient aristocrats?! Don't talk to me about _balance, Avatar_. It would only make you more of a hypocrite than you already are."

His face was red with hatred and rage now, and Korra readied herself mentally, anticipating any move he might make. She had no idea if the commander was a bender or not, but she knew that he was close to bursting.

"I'm begging you, Commander, don't do this. I've made mistakes. Bad ones. I admit that, but taking these people's livelihoods and homes away won't make anything better. It will just lead to more death… more pain."

"You don't know the _beginning_ of pain, _Avatar._ By the order of Chancellor Shen of the Earth Empire I order you and your forces to surrender and accept integration into the Empire. If you choose to reject this generous offer, I shall be forced to integrate violently."

"You're insane."

"You're insane if you don't surrender, Avatar. More will die if you don't. Do you really want to do this?!"

Korra studied him. For a moment, nothing happened. The warm rain splattered down on them, darkening the gravel around them as the tumultuous sounds of the army below continued unabated.

In a single, rapid movement, she withdrew the flare gun from her back sling and fired it, the red projectile arcing into the air, glowing brightly. Roaring almost joyously, Hyun settled into a traditional bending position, levitating a massive chunk of stone from the cliff below them and hitting it with a spinning kick, sending the entire thing hurtling towards her.

Discarding the gun, she somersaulted out of the way, skidding to a stop and bending a trio of powerful wind vortexes towards him. They spun towards him, kicking up dirt and scraggly grass before passing harmlessly over a stone dome that promptly crumbled after the vortexes passed.

Korra's flurry of fireballs, however, took him by surprise, and he was propelled backwards skidding into the ground as Korra deployed her glider and flew off of the cliff, making for the distant Kyoshi Island, chastising herself silently for her failure to resolve things once more.

* * *

It began simply enough; a deep rumbling and some dim flashes through the fog that, to the uneducated eye, would be thunder and lighting.

What came next, the searing, blinding explosions that tossed people like ragdolls and demolished houses with a hot, devastating fury, revealed the truth. With each salvo, explosions ripped through Port Kyoshi, eradicating bakeries, markets, warehouses, and homes with indiscriminate rage. As civilians ran through the streets towards the designated evacuation sites, desperately waiting for the next air bison to come floating down to deliver them to safety, hundreds perished.

From the air came dozens of gray and green airships, bristling with electricity projectors and bomb bays, dropping metal- and earth-benders from steel cords to wreak havoc inside the city, distracting the ill-equipped municipal police force while the Kyoshi Warriors concentrated their defenses around the training facility.

From the sea came dozens of ships, each one holding a cargo bay full of determined and angry men with guns, portable electricity projectors, and shields. One after the other, they rammed themselves onto the pale beaches of Kyoshi Island, disgorging their troops to charge up the slopes and deep into the forest.

The first hours went by easily for the Second Earth Empire. The bending forces seized control of the city and the ground troops made good progress towards the Kyoshi training facility, easily sweeping aside the volunteer militia and policemen sent to stop them.

Then, suddenly, the inexorable advance of the Earth Empire halted. Columns of troops, marching through the thick jungle, were suddenly ambushed by deadly warriors who negated the Empire's firepower advantage by getting into close combat immediately, flying through the throngs of troops with deadly and ruthless efficiency.

The bending special forces, confident in their victory, found themselves hard pressed by gunfire and the appearance of many airbenders, whose aerial advantage pushed the benders into a corner, little by little. During all of this, reports of the Avatar came from every company and platoon. In one moment, she would be defending a group of civilians from metalbenders, and then almost instantly be sighted disabling airships or intercepting artillery shells.

Though they were not winning by any stretch of the word, the defenders of Kyoshi Island were making the Earth Empire's job all the more difficult, allowing civilians to flee with every painful, bloody minute.

* * *

Zhi walked back up the stairs, panting heavily as she cradled her leg. Shila rushed to her side as soon as she saw her, laying her down and tearing at her pant leg in concern.

"What happened, Sifu?!"

Zhi gritted her teeth.

"Got shot. I think... it went all the way through. It's not… as bad go tend to the others."

"I won't just leave you like…"

"...do it, Shila. That's an order."

Shila hesitated, looking at her hesitantly as a mortar round detonated nearby, blowing chunks of rock and pavement everywhere. She nodded quickly, and sprinted down the stairs again as Zhi limped towards the now-abandoned command post.

A bullet whizzed by her head, and she ducked down, grabbing a first aid kit from a crate nearby and retrieving the bandages, wrapping her leg tightly.

 _We're being overrun! We need rein-_

 _This is Team 5, we're being attacked by mech suits, bring up the heavy support, now!_

 _Team 18 here, we've got sightings of more troop ships on the eastern shore, send backup…_

Zhi looked up as she gritted her teeth in pain. The radio blared with the last words of her brothers and sisters, and each voice was filled with either fear or grim acceptance. Those warriors that had been deployed during the Collapse, the ones who had seen the worst human nature had to offer, knew that their fate was inevitable and accepted it. Those that joined out of curiosity or determination and _didn't_ know what was coming… that was harder for her.

A shadow flitted by out of the corner of her eye, and Avatar Korra landed quickly, hurrying over to her and setting her staff down.

"Master Zhi… how bad is it?"

"Not… bad," she grimaced. "It went through cleanly."

Nodding once, Korra swiftly closed her eyes and bent a stream of water from a nearby sink, enveloping Zhi's calf in a glowing cocoon of water. A warm, tingly feeling emanated through her leg, and most of the pain faded into a dull discomfort.

An airplane sporting the angular sigil of the Gonglu roared overhead, dropping a bomb on the mess hall and causing a massive explosion, likely from the cooking equipment's gas storage containers. Zhi winced and held Korra's shoulder.

"Avatar, I'll stay behind and coordinate the survivors. Once you're all away, I'll offer my surrender and allow you to get away."

"Zhi, I can't let you do that."

"It's the only way. You know it. The only thing that will stop these bastards is the capture of a high-ranking Kyoshi Warrior, and I'm not about to let any of my warriors rot in prison under those maniacs. I'll be fine."

Korra looked at her with a mixture of indecision and admiration.

"I can't…"

"You must, Avatar. I know we just met, but… you're my hero. I strove to be better and to attain the rank I have now because of what you did when you were younger. Your actions are what inspire me every day, so I want to repay you for that kindness. Let me do this. Just get my people out of here."

Korra's mouth hung open in shock for a moment, before snapping shut as her expression turned into one of determination. She bent the water into a nearby canteen and laid it next to Zhi, bowing once.

"I'm sorry."

"Thank you, Korra. I'll be fine."

Korra's face looked downtrodden and defeated as she airbended herself off of the roof. As the familiar orange form of her glider swooped out of view, Zhi propped herself into a nearby chair, ignoring the explosions and gunfire all around her. Calmly, she flipped a few switches on the battered radio set and brought the receiver to her face.

"This is Master Zhi of the Kyoshi Warriors on channel 23. I wish to offer the unconditional surrender of all Kyoshi forces on this island."

With that, she hung up the receiver and closed her eyes, trying her best to stifle the tears of shame and fear that spilled from her eyes.


	8. Chapter 8: The Calm Before the Storm

" _The annexation of the sovereign and independent state of Kyoshi is both a humans rights violation and a blatant violation of the Republic City Accords of 179 AG. During their assault, we are told, Earth Empire military forces acted with a blatant disregard for human life, especially those of noncombatants. The fact that our sources indicate over 2,000 innocent men, women, and children perished during the invasion is proof that the so-called Second Earth Empire holds no respect towards the value of human life and international law. With this in mind, I ask you, honorable representatives of the Senate, to declare a blanket embargo on the sale of weapons, supplies, and assets to the Second Earth Empire and its affiliates, as well as the other economic and political sanctions included in this bill. Thank you."_

The television feed switched from the interior view of the lavishly furnished United Republic Senate building to a news commentator.

" _To those of you just joining us, that was President Mako announcing a comprehensive set of economic and political sanctions in the wake of the Kyoshi Island Massacre. Despite his reputation as a lame turtle-duck President as of late, this represents the first major political repercussion for the horrifying and violent events of the Kyoshi Island Massacre. We go now to Feng Niu, political correspondent. Take it away, Feng."_

Asami switched the television off worriedly. _How quickly things have changed_ , she thought to herself as she drained the last of her _Kasao_ whiskey. She wrapped her robe closer around her and stalked around the empty Sato mansion. It was a lot quieter now than it had once been. Most of her father's collections and furniture had been sold to charity. She hadn't liked reminding herself of her father and his death so consistently every day, and traveling through the Spirit World for several weeks had changed her self-admitted materialism.

She had been tempted to sell the whole damn place off, but part of her sentimentality, she supposed, had stopped her.

A loud thud emitted from the ceiling above and Asami smiled, mounting the stairs quickly and walking out of the hallway into the outdoor balcony. As she thought, Korra was practicing her bending. Yet Asami's smile faded as she saw Korra's face- full of distraught and self-loathing.

Korra stopped her exercises, panting heavily and looking at Asami.

"Sorry if I bothered you," she said, almost gruffly.

Asami crossed the balcony quickly and wrapped her arms around her wife tightly. After a few seconds, Korra returned the gesture.

"You're not bothering _anything_. I'm just worried about you, Korra. Things haven't been the same since a week ago-"

"I _know_."

Asami dropped it. She knew that it was a sore spot, and she wanted to be there for Korra, not get in a fight with her. Korra sighed dejectedly.

"I'm sorry, Asami. It's just… I failed them. All those civilians who died, all the Warriors, Zhi… I could have saved them if I was quicker, or if I had persuaded that commander."

"Think how many didn't die because of you and the other airbenders. Those that were lost will be missed, of course, but you all saved more than 8,000 people. You saved them from a life of conscription, imprisonment, and oppression, and I think that's a beautiful thing. Sure, Kyoshi Island fell, but there are still places out there that need our help. You can't give up on them."

Korra hugged Asami tightly, breaking apart to kiss her passionately on the lips.

"I know. Thanks. I'm just… I wish I could talk to the other Avatars."

"You always have Raava, don't you?"

Korra looked at her, shaking her head.

"I don't want to rely on her too much. In case I... in case I lose her again."

"I'd say that a power hungry dictator trying to take over the Earth Nation would be a necessary interruption. I love you."

"I love you too."

Asami smiled, and turned around, leaving Korra alone on the balcony with her thoughts.

* * *

The rock fist careened into her stomach, knocking the wind out of her and causing her to vomit onto the damp, moldy ground. This time, the vomit was flecked with specks of blood.

"I'll say it one more time. Swear allegiance to the Gonglu and Chancellor Shen and all of this will stop."

The underground chamber was tinted green from the glowing crystal lamps set around the room. She had spent most of her time blindfolded or in her tiny cell, so she had little to no concept of where she was. All she knew was she had been knocked out after the Gonglu troops had surrounded her, and had woken up in this hellhole only to be mercilessly beaten through the week.

She spat on the floor in front of the black-robed Dai Li agent, eliciting little reaction from the stony-faced man.

"I'd rather be fed to the Unagi than sell my soul. Burn in the underworld, you _puppet_."

"An interesting idea, Sifu. Perhaps that could be arranged."

He emerged from the shadowy corner. She hadn't noticed him there, and she strained at her earthen restraints in hatred, wanting nothing more than to kill the man that had taken so much from her. He laughed at her defiance, grasping her chin roughly and turning it to each side, his face mere inches from hers. When she tried to bite him, he simply laughed.

"If only they could see you now. The _great_ leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, reduced to an animal. Now you know how _we_ felt when you all turned your noses up at us during the Collapse."

"Save the speech, Shen. I demand to be afforded the rights of a prisoner of war. You can't force me to-"

He laughed again.

"Technically, _sister_ , you're not a prisoner of war. Kyoshi Island is the rightful territory of the Earth Empire. So that simply makes you a criminal. And I can see that you won't swear allegiance to me, even if it is illogical."

He turned to address the interrogator.

"Put her back in her cell. She can be transferred to one of the reeducation camps tomorrow."

He turned back towards Zhi, smiling coldly.

"You've made a mistake, Sifu. What happens from now on is on you."

With that, he walked out, leaving Zhi alone with the agents and a building sense of dread.

The door slammed shut, definitively, and Zhi propped herself on the stone slab that was supposed to constitute a bed, clutching at her bruised body and rubbing her wrists where the rock restraints had been. The bed, she had realized quickly, was cruel in its design; it was ever so slightly misshapen, making it practically impossible to sleep or relax in it without falling down or hurting oneself.

She had taken to sleeping- when she could, of course -on the floor.

"Psst."

Zhi looked around, confused. Was it another trick? A mind game?

"Over here!"

Zhi turned to her left, to a small hole in the wall where a golden eye stared at her from the other side. She was instantly filled with mistrust. How stupid did they think she was?

"Nice try. You can't do the 'sympathetic prisoner' routine with me."

"Sympathetic prisoner?" whispered the voice, a younger girl by the sound of it.

"You're with them. You just want me to break."

There was a light chuckle.

"If you say so. I just got here yesterday. What are you in for?"

"Go burn in the underworld."

"Ouch. I mean, you don't have to talk if you don't want to, but I kind of want to… it makes the pain go away. Is that… okay?"

Zhi stayed silent, sitting against the wall with her eyes closed.

"I'll take that as a yes. Well… my name is Kuma. I'm from the Fire Nation, originally. I moved to the Earth Nation when I was very young with my parents. They were tired of the Triads and the government fighting all the time so we settled in a pretty big town near the Serpent's Pass."

"Things were good for a while. Then the Collapse happened. Suddenly my dad, a power plant worker, was jobless. We lost our house and lived on the streets for years before the government finally brought back jobs. Or something like that… I don't really remember a lot of it. When the Gonglu started coming into power, after the State Wars, we kind of thought things would get better, you know? Hell, my dad supported them. But once the Gonglu agents in our town found out we were from the Fire Nation originally… and…"

The girl sniffed.

"They took mom and dad. They threw me in here and keep trying to get me to swear allegiance to them. I don't know why. I just… I just want to be left alone."

There was a potent silence on her end. The distant sound of screaming echoed through the cold walls and Zhi shivered instinctively.

"Sorry. It just feels good to talk. How about you?" the girl asked, her voice raw.

"My name… is Zhi."

She didn't really care anymore if the girl was a spy. It did feel good to let loose.

"You wouldn't happen to be _the_ Zhi? Of the Kyoshi Warriors?"

"...Yes," she muttered, deciding to let her guard down for a moment.

There was something akin to an awed silence on the other end. Then:

"How did they get you?"

"It wasn't easy," Zhi said with a pained smirk.

* * *

Shen read the report excitedly, looking at Wu with respect.

"You're sure it worked?"

"Yes. We have full testimonials from over a dozen witnesses. It's unquestionable."

"Good. Is the Congress ready?"

"Yes, Chancellor."

"Good. Good work, Wu. I won't forget this."

"I did it for the Empire, sir, but I thank you."

Shen almost had to stop from laughing. He knew Wu to be the slimy bastard he was, and he knew that Wu was probably just maneuvering in an attempt to win political clout or to potentially overthrow Shen. He mentally made a note to keep an eye on the Grand Secretariat.

As Shen entered the large Congress building, he was greeted by thunderous applause from the hundreds of Gonglu congressmen and women, and the giant banners proudly bearing the angular mark of the Gonglu blended with the circle-and-square sigil of the old Earth Kingdom. For him, the new banners represented how far their Nation had come; from an antiquated monarchy to a powerful empire on the verge of greatness.

He took the podium, shaking the hands of the Congressional speaker and moderator, before settling his hands on the sides of the podium and waiting for silence to take hold. The bank of microphones and bulky cameras in the back indicated that what he said next would be broadcasted all throughout the world.

 _Better make it impressive, then_ , he thought.

"Brothers and sisters of the Earth Empire, today I come before you not as a politician, not as a leader, but as a simple citizen like you. Why, you may ask? Today, my friends, we have suffered a truly evil and egregious wound. Yesterday, at approximately midnight, a group of around one hundred rogue firebenders formerly from the Fire Nation military attacked vital port cities and towns, burning down warehouses, political buildings, and normal, everyday houses."

Gasps of outrage elicited from the crowd. Shen raised his hands, as if to calm them.

"Now, my brothers and sisters, our valiant military and police forces were luckily able to kill or capture all of these culprits, but this does represent a dangerous possibility. If our… _honorable_ neighbors in the Fire Nation can't keep control of their own bloodthirsty military forces, who knows what else may happen? After all, the Hundred Years' War was caused by one firebender's psychopathic rampage, and that war devastated our country beyond anything we have experienced before."

There were passionate boos in the congressional body, and Shen had to resist smirking; he had won them over.

"Now, most people would view this as an act of war, but I will refrain… I say this to Firelord Iroh and the Fire Nation government... I expect a formal apology and full reparation for the damage done within 72 hours, or else we shall be forced to view this as an act of war. Thank you, representatives. Long live the Earth Empire."

A cacophony of cheering filled the room, filling his ears and swelling his pride. Each voice, Gonglu or otherwise, chanted his name with adoration and zealotry. He had them in the palm of his hand, he knew, and unless the Fire Nation gave into his demands (which he highly doubted), he would get his opportunity to strengthen his Nation.

And at long last, the dreams he had held for decades would come to fruition.

* * *

 **Hey everyone!**

 **So I'm back with Book 5 again! Figured it was time to commit to writing again, so I'm splitting my time between this series and a new noire-style series. Hopefully you guys enjoy!**

 **As always, I welcome feedback!**

 **-IGdude117**


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